There was once a young man named Tunde who lived in a small community where everyone knew each other. Tunde was hardworking, calm, and focused on building a better life for himself. He started a small business with little capital, and although the beginning was difficult, he remained patient and consistent.
As time went on, his business began to grow. People started respecting him. Some admired his determination, while others secretly hated his progress. Among them was his close friend, Kunle.
Kunle and Tunde grew up together. They ate together, played together, and shared dreams together. But the moment Tunde’s life began to improve, jealousy quietly entered Kunle’s heart. At first, it was small. He would compare their lives and wonder why Tunde was progressing faster than him. Instead of asking Tunde for advice or learning from his dedication, he allowed envy to grow inside him.
Jealousy is dangerous because it never announces its arrival. It starts quietly through comparison, bitterness, and hidden resentment. The more Kunle compared himself to Tunde, the more unhappy he became. Tunde’s success became a burden in Kunle’s heart.
Whenever people praised Tunde, Kunle felt offended. Whenever Tunde achieved something new, Kunle lost sleep. He stopped seeing Tunde as a friend and began seeing him as a competitor.
One day, out of jealousy, Kunle spread false rumors about Tunde’s business. He told people that Tunde was involved in illegal activities and that his success was fake. Some people believed the lies, and for a while, Tunde’s reputation suffered.
But truth has a way of surviving storms.
Months later, people discovered that the rumors were false. Tunde remained calm throughout the situation and never fought back with hatred. Instead, he continued working hard and treating people with kindness.
Kunle, on the other hand, became lonely and bitter. The same jealousy he used against his friend slowly destroyed his own peace. He could no longer focus on his own life because he was too busy watching another person’s progress.
One evening, an elderly man in the community called Kunle and said:
“Jealousy is like drinking poison and expecting another person to die. The person you envy may continue to grow, while your own heart becomes heavy with anger and sadness.”
Those words touched Kunle deeply